Whirlwind
by Kayla Grosse
Narrated by Victoria Connolly; Grayson Owens; Robb Moreira

I received an ARC of this audiobook through Netgalley.

Whirlwind was an interesting book, but I wasn’t overly enamored with the main characters. I hope the author will write a sequel about Hawk & Joey because they are a far more likable couple.

There was rough sex in this book, which is fine, but there should have been talk about consent and safe words.

The sex talk was dirty and seemed to be at odds with every other character trait. Instead of being an asset to these characters, it made me like them less.

I enjoyed the science, the meteorology, the school setting, and have no problem with the age difference.

I don’t know, parts were great, parts were a reader turn-off.

This wasn’t really a romance book. It was more of an anti-romance if that’s even a thing.

My overall opinion: Eh, not great. But, seriously I could love a Hawk & Joey book.

3/5 stars

I have thoughts LOL.

First and foremost is this book a full novel or a novella? It is in that weird limbo place where I don't think it's long enough to be a full novel or really detailed enough to be a full novel but it was also WAY too long to be a novella?

Second, because I got the audiobook (and thank you very much) I love me some duet narration but the added sounds fr threw me off and I'll be honest unless it's a full dramatized audiobook I don't think there is much use for the added sounds.

I thought the book was just okay though not really for me, kind of an odd plot but definitely for fans of the movie "Twister"

Omg! This book was SO good!

This is absolutely amazing. I loved every character. The narration is fantastic.
Finley and Ryker were 🥵 🥵

Think the movie twisters 🌪️ but with steamy, fun , flirty vibes added.
Kayla Grosse wrote a 6 star book for us! It’s funny and flirty. Joey is the best side character EVER! I have read/listened to a few of Kayla’s other book but this one is by far my absolute favorite.

Student x professor
Storm chasing
Adventurous
Slight breeding kink
Age gap
Forbidden attraction
Grayson Owens narrated 🔥🫠
Duet narration with sound effects(storms not spicy scenes 😂)

She takes storm photos as a hobby. She has been a fan of him as the “twister tamer” for a long time. She is attracted to him but due to college rules she knows they can’t do anything. They flirt but that’s it.

He is a well known storm chaser the “twister tamer” He’s attracted to her and trying to fight it because she is his student. He keeps telling himself it’s prohibited to have a relationship with a student.

“Tell him the room will be occupied for a while. I have some making up to do” 🫠😱😉

HIGHLY RECOMMEND
⭐️=6
🌶️=3

I loved this one so much!!!! The duet audiobook was done beautifully. Story was beautifully written and I ate this book up in just one day because of how much I loved it

A tornado chaser romance? Yes please! I didn’t know I needed this in my life but I’m so glad I gave this a shot. This one follows Finely a college student who’s crushing on her professor, Ryker. They chase storms and fight their feelings for each other.

I really enjoyed these two characters, and especially the side characters too. Joey was my favorite! Lived for the little found family moments towards the end. Wouldn’t mind a Joey and Hawke book, I’d eat that up! I just love a forbidden age gap romance, nothing beats it.

The audio book was great. Loved the narrators, duet style narration. All the sound effects. Thunder, wind and sirens! Very subversive. Felt like I was there in the middle of a tornado.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐ 3 🌶️ 5 🎧

This was so much fun. A little forbidden romance, a touch of suspense, a handful of spice and I loved it so much. I loved the premise; storm chasing, but make it forbidden and steamy.

I really adored Ryker, even if he needed to be smacked around (quite literally) occasionally. He was so sweet and hot and all of the things. Finley was so strong and smart, and while I can't remember how much her curves were discussed, the plus size cover rep was absolutely amazing.

The audio was fantastic. I loved Victoria Connelly, Grayson Owens and Robb Moreira to pieces and the sound effects were a fun effect. This was an amazing listen.

Now gimme Hawke and Joey pleaseandthankyou

I absolutely loved reading this ebook, but the audiobook really just brought it together! And the narrator who played Joey was literally fantastic!!

Ryder and Finley's storm chasing, whirlwind relationship book was so much fun! This was an easy read with all of the normal Kayla Grosse banter!

🌪️Age gap
🌪️Student x professor
🌪️Forced proximity
🌪️Found family
🌪️Plus size FMC

Finley has been crushing on her famous storm chaser professor for years. And now that she is in his class, she has the opportunity to really showcase her knowledge. And when Finley ends up being selected to go on a storm chasing weekend with Ryder and his team, it turns into so much more.

I loved the action, quirk, and banter between all of these characters - from the two main characters to the three side characters (Joey, Ezra, and Hawke), they all brought the laughs! Finley and Ryder get themselves in a dangerous situation, but they end up getting rough and dirty in another way in the end!

I really enjoyed this read and can't wait to see more of the side characters in the future! I am hoping that we get books for all of them!

Victoria Connolly, Grayson Owens, and Robb Moreira did an amazing job narrating this book! Victoria was great as Finley - I could feel the vulnerability in her voice. Grayson was literal perfection as Ryder - no one else could have narrated him better. And Robb, who is a new to me narrator, was SOOO good as Joey. I loved Joey's character so much,

Whirlwind - Audiobook Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kayla Grosse does it again, but this time, Grayson Owens, Victoria Connolly, and Rob Moreira take this stormy, tension-filled romance to another level with their phenomenal narration. "Whirlwind" is the perfect mix of forbidden romance, high-stakes adrenaline, and sizzling chemistry, and the duet-style narration with added sound effects makes it feel like you’re right there, chasing tornadoes with Finley and Ryker.

-First things first—Grayson Owens.
He’s an instant listen for me, and his portrayal of Tornado Daddy Ryker is everything I could have hoped for. He brings out the rugged charm, the authority, the struggle, and—of course—the smolder.
-Victoria Connolly as Finley is equally fantastic. She captures Finley’s intelligence, wit, and quiet yearning so well that I felt every emotion right along with her.
-And Rob Moreira? He absolutely nails Joey, adding depth and humor exactly where it’s needed.

What makes this audiobook next level?
🔹 Duet-style narration – Always a win, especially with a dynamic story like this.
🔹Full production with sound effects – Thunder, wind, and yes—siren/alert sounds. It all adds to the immersion without being overwhelming.
🔹Sharp banter & perfect comedic timing – The humor lands flawlessly thanks to the stellar voice work.
🔹Spice that sizzles – The tension and buildup translate so well in audio.

I already devoured the ebook, but listening to the audiobook felt like experiencing it for the first time all over again. The performances were so rich and engaging that it felt like a rom-com was playing out in real time. If you’re an audiobook lover, this is the way TO GO!! Huge thanks to Kayla Grosse, Greyson Owens, Victoria Connolly, and Rob Moreira, NetGalley, and Dreamscape Select | Fat Babe Publishing, INC for this absolute gem!🎧🔥

Ok first things first. This book delivers on the duet narration (and some background sound effects like thunder, sirens, phone chimes etc). A+ in that department!

Second, I barely thought twice before requesting this audio arc simply based off the idea of this book being about storm chasers in love... I mean who didn't watch Twisters in 2024 and think "WE NEED A SPICY BOOK ABOUT THIS!" So my excitement for this book was HIGH. Well... maybe too high.

At the very beginning we get some author's notes/warnings and we learn that this book is going to be age gap and professor/student relationships. I sighed (not my favorite tropes) BUT - I was not going to be deterred. Make me WANT this relationship anyway right? Sadly, I don't think it was written in a way that made me disregard these tropes at all. In fact, it was repeated so often how it was forbidden and wrong that it almost felt annoying at times. The storm chasing part felt so second fiddle to this big forbidden romance that I was almost frustrated. Give me these two characters who are STEM/science nerds (think Ali Hazelwood) - make it a super slow burn as they risk there lives out there chasing weather that I WANT them to get together, but this did not happen.

So while, I'm not mad at all that I listened to this audiobook (again, DUET NARRATION people!) - I found the main storyline to be a bit lacking and I still yearn for that perfect storm chaser romance read.

Audiobook narration 4 out of 5
Plot 2.75 out of 5
Spice 3 out of 5
Average rating: 3.25 out of 5

Exhilarating Ride
The story centres around Finley 25, a master's student, and Professor West 42, a renowned storm chaser. The tension between Finley and Professor West grows as they navigate their professional and personal boundaries, leading to an intense and complicated relationship. I hope we see more from Joey, Hawk and Ezra.
I appreciated the duet-style audiobook and the added sound effects, which made the reading experience more immersive.
I was gifted an advanced audio copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Twisters but make it spicier. Loved this from the very beginning. The duet narration had me hooked! Could not stop listening and was immediately drawn into the story. Loved everything about this, and always love Kayla Gross’ characters

Pick up the audiobook for this one!

Finley is in a master's student and she has a crush on her professor- who is a well known storm chaser. She's been watching his videos for years. She was selected to join his team for the season.
Ryder is attracted to Finley. Has been since the day she walked into his classroom. He has to remind himself repeatedly that she is off limits.
When they find themselves having a near death experience, they are having a real hard time remembering the boundaries.

As I mentioned- listen to this one. The audiobook is a full production with sound effects and multiple narrators. I will say to be cautious though- siren/alert sounds do happen a few times. My sleeping cat kept popping her head up trying to figure out if she needed to hide or not!

I bumped this to 4 stars due to the excellent production. The only downfall that I have was the length, and the fact that the short length made it feel kind of underdeveloped. The majority of the book takes place over two days. While Finley and Ryder have build up before the book starts, I still feel like more "in person" interactions over a period of time would have improved the story.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Ryker, an experienced storm chaser and professor, and Finley, a meteorology student, as they navigate a forbidden romance filled with electric chemistry and thrilling storm-chasing adventures.

If you're a fan of Twister, love an age-gap romance, and enjoy stories with fun, dynamic characters, this book is for you! The audiobook was an absolute delight, with incredible sound effects that made me feel like I was right there in the middle of a storm. The narrators did an amazing job breathing life into these characters, making the experience feel like watching a rom-com play out in real time. The banter was sharp, the humor had me laughing, and the spice was spot-on!

The only reason this isn't a full five-star read for me is the third-act breakup trope. While I get its purpose, it felt unnecessary here—watching them navigate the stress of hiding their relationship would have been more entertaining than the forced separation. That said, Whirlwind kept me hooked from start to finish, and I can't wait to read more from Kayla Grosse.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the opportunity to listen to this exciting and immersive book!

*4.5 ⭐️
*2.5 🌶️
This audiobook was so fun! Victoria Connolly & Grayson Owens did such a great job, and the sound effects were perfect!
Kayla once does it again! And this one is with Storm chasing with a student and professor. I absolutely loved these characters I connected with these 2 instantly! The chemistry they share is incredible and they definitely deserve each other with their love for tornado chasing!
The spicy scenes were spicin! 🔥🔥🔥
And the epilogue was fantastic with Joey ! He was so fun and definitely made me laugh out loud multiple times throughout this book!

Tropes
Age gap
Professor x student
Banter
Plus size FMC
Forbidden


Thank you NetGalley for the ALC!

Finley loves storms. She is also obsessed with her professor that teachers her about storms. What could go wrong?
Professor west is a storm chaser and a professor whose been capturing the hearts of people for years on his live streams. Finlay goes with him to chase a storm and sparks fly.
Okay let's start with the audiobook, I loved the narrators. They did a great job making the characters coming to life especially Joey he was hysterical. My problem with the audio was the background noises like the sirens and the thunder. I found them to be distracting and unnecessary.
In the book itself, I really enjoyed the storm chase aspect. The author made those scenes very compelling and exciting. My issues were with the MMC. He was written as a 42 year old man who unfortunately acted very immature. He was very back and fourth about his feelings and kept on having the same conversations with Finlay over and over. I found that the best parts of the book were the action and the side characters which added a lot of humor to the story. Overall, the romance unfortunately fell a bit flat overall.

Updating my review to include the audio review:

I love me some Grayson Owens & Victoria Connolly, but you put them in duet & in a Kayla Grosse story?! FRIKKIN FANTASTIC! They’re perfect as Ryker & Finley, & I absolutely loved this performance! The little sound effects throughout were also a great detail. They weren’t overwhelming & didn’t overshadow the audio at all, I thought they were great touches & made it an even more immersive reading experience!

PS: Rob Moreira is also great in this one!!

Story review below:

Kayla Grosse doesn’t miss! I enjoyed this one so much!

“Professor West” “Ms. Buckley” LAWWWWD🥵

We all know Kayla is queen when it comes to plus size FMCs, men who are obsessed with them, & spicy spice, but I was blown away (no pun intended 😂) by this one & the action! The storm & chase scenes were so good! I also learned a lot about storms through this one lol!

Finley was such a badass! I loved that she had multiple talents & was confident to pursue them. And storm chasing solo? You go girl! The dynamic between her & Ryker is delish, being forbidden & a nice age gap too😮‍💨 They are pretty angsty as well, with the back & forth on if they should pursue each other or not, & the pining on both parts.

They are hot hot hot when they do come together (maybe a little pun intended there 🙃), my kindle & AirPods were melting 🥵

PS: Joey is hilarious, I love him, & I need a novella/novel of him & Hawke PLEASE & THANK YOU! Ezra is also intriguing with his quiet self, so I just know he would be delish as well if there are future books with these characters 😉

A tornado chaser romance under 300 pages, with duet style audiobook.. yes please! I was surprised even being a shorter story, I found the pacing was great. The author really packed in a lot in a short amount of time. A good amount of spice, with adventure and forbidden tension. I enjoyed all of the characters, and especially loved Joey (who is a side character so surprise surprise). I really hope that we get a Joey and Hawke book! One thing I loved is that their relationship felt realistic, even with it taking place majority over a weekend. There are some short flashbacks from 9 months ago so it felt like we were coming into their story right before they finally acted on their feelings. I received the duet audio as arc on netgalley and this opinion is entirely my own. The duet style was great, especially with the added sound effects!

this was a raunchy, thunderous good time! a quick read perfect for fans of Tessa Bailey!!!

while there is a circumstantial threat of power imbalance since she’s her professor and over 15 years her senior, both Finley and Ryker felt on equal footing here, especially as Finley stands up for herself when she feels Rykers being unfair and unclear in his intentions.

this is such a steamy, spicy, hottie story!!! I love the fact they’re on a storm chase with some of Finley’s friends. one, the storm chase makes it exciting and romantic, and two since her friends are there it keeps things even more safe for Finley as the younger student and thus even more exciting in her and Ryker’s passion and explosive chemistry.

this was such a fun, horny story!!! thank you so much for the ALC!!!

I listened to the audiobook version of Whirlwind and I freaking loved it. I am a sucker for tornadoes and storm chasers, and add to that a good age gap and some teacher/student romance and I'm a puddle!! Yes, the story had a lot of elements that resembled Twister but there was so much more here. The romance, the action, the friendships, the comedy. This audiobook was hard to put down. It grabbed me and did not want to let go. The story definitely had plenty of plot and action and a bit of delicious spice. Even though I loved Finley and "Tornado Daddy" Ryker, it was Joey that made me fall completely in love. He is such an adorable puppy and I hope with my entire heart that he gets his own book. The narration by Victoria Connolly, Grayson Owens, and Robb Moreira was superb. Their voices, their accents and inflections, and the sound effects were just pure perfection. Definitely one story I loved and cannot recommend enough.

OKAY!! So, I must admit I wasn’t on the Twister train when the movie came out. I really can’t explain why it’s just never really been my thing. I was worried going into this so I didn’t feel the pull to read it as soon as it came out. BUT- I was able to get my hands on the audiobook format and that’s just so much more convienent for me and I know I LOVE Kayla Grosse’s books so I figured I would try it. I’m SO SO SO happy I did!!! I may not have liked Twister but I LOVED this book so much. The Duet format is ALWAYS something I look for and appreciate and they just went above and beyond with all of it. There were little sound effects, fun voices for side characters, it all fit so well. It truly felt like I could close my eyes and be there, which is a big thing especially for audiobooks. The story itself was amazing. Forbidden romance once they start they just can’t stop sort of feeling... its dreamy and just- perfection. I always love my age gaps and Kayla really does know how to write them PERFECTLY for me. The voice actors added in another layer and perfect became addictive. I listened to it all in one day thats truly how much I loved it.